Succulents and More™

Dudleyas are the most intriguing succulents native to California—or in a broader sense, the California Floristic Province , which extends into Oregon in the north and Baja California in the south. Geoff Stein wrote a great introduction to dudleyas on Dave's Garden so I don't need to repeat the same information here. The common name for dudleyas is live-forever, owing to their extreme longevity (some species live 100 years or longer). That, however, is in their native habitats. I doubt the same is true for cultivation. They certainly don't last that long in my garden.  With some exceptions, dudleyas grow near the coast where it's nice and cool year round. In our hot inland summers, when they're dormant, they struggle mightily. Water them during their dormancy, and they'll likely rot. Don't water them at all, and they might die of desiccation. In their native environment, they get just enough moisture from the air that they're able to survive the dry seas

A big thank you to everybody who left a comment on my review  of Loree “ danger garden ” Bohl's first book, Fearless Gardening . You were entered in a drawing for two books generously provided by Timber Press : Fearless Gardening , of course, as well as The Bold Dry Garden: Lessons from the Ruth Bancroft Garden  by Johanna Silver with photographs by Marion Brenner ( click here for my review). I picked the lucky winner using a random number generator. Her name is... [insert drum roll]... SuePip . Sue, I don't have any way of contacting you, so please email me with your mailing address by January 23rd. The books will be shipped to you directly by Timber Press; please allow 2-3 weeks. Thank you again to those of you who left a comment. I'm sorry you didn't win, but I encourage you to get your own copy of Fearless Gardening . It's an investment that will pay for itself over and over.

During my late-December blitz trip to Southern California, I was able to visit the Huntington , one of my favorite public gardens anywhere. As part of the Huntington's COVID-19 protocols, advanced reservations are now required. Dates are released every other Tuesday for the next two weeks. I was lucky to get a slot on the only day I had available.  The Huntington takes COVID-19 safety seriously. The number of visitors is limited and staggered throughout the day; all indoor locations are closed; no food and no water fountains are available; restrooms are restricted to four persons at a time (at least the men's restrooms). It was very easy to avoid getting too close to other people, and at times it felt I had the whole place to myself. That's a far cry from the madding crowds that used to be typical. My favorite spot at the Huntington is the Desert Garden. I've written many posts about it, and I intend to write many more in the years and decades to come. Big things are